LOCAL ROADS

What are local roads?

Most of the roads in the state are local roads and as such are the responsibility of Local Government.

Apart from roads through forests and national parks, local roads make up 88 per cent of all roads in WA.

Most roads and streets in your area, apart from the major arterial roads are local roads and are the responsibility of your Council.

It is estimated that it would cost $24 billion to replace all local roads in WA.

So do Councils pay to fix most of the roads?

A significant part of all Council budgets is road maintenance but Councils simply can’t meet the entire expense from their funds.

For example the total expenditure on roads last year was $753.4 million and 43 per cent was funded by State and Federal government programs.

The State Government funding for roads is set as a 21 per cent share of revenue collected from vehicle licence fees.

Councils regularly question how the sector can be responsible for 88 per cent of all roads but receive only 21 per cent of the money raised from licences.

What if there are problems with roads in my area?

Much of the local road network is now approaching the end of its design life and an increasing portion of funding is being spent on maintenance and renewal.

For example last year maintenance and renewal made up almost 75 per cent of total expenditure and it was estimated that there was a shortfall of $116 million to maintain the network in its current condition.

Securing funding to ensure local roads are well maintained and safe is one of the most important challenges for Local Government.

If you spot local roads that may need maintenance let the relevant Council know by using localeye, a free mobile app from the App Store for iOS devices, or Google Play store for Android devices.